By Tess Middleton, Fin Free Albury Wodonga
Good Friday is just around the corner and with every Good Friday comes the family fish and chip order.
This year make an ethical choice when it comes to your fish. Now I am not saying that you can’t eat fish with your chips, however, just take a second to think about what you are actually ordering and how sustainable it is.
Your better options can be any of the following, as these species are not currently overfished and are generally resilient to fishing pressures:
- Australian Salmon;
- Tropical Snapper;
- Flathead;
- Whiting;
- Barramundi.
At the other end of this you have species that are being overfished, that are threatened species and/or their loss directly impacts the ocean ecosystem, so say no to:
- Flake;
- Hake;
- Sea Bream;
- Yellow Tail Kingfish.
Flake – you should not only say no to for environmental and ethical reasons as the fins from sharks killed for flake are sold overseas to Asian markets where there is high demand for shark fin soup, and the global shark population has declined by 90%; with 25% of all shark species being at risk of extinction. But also the high levels of mercury, with samples being independently tested resulting in findings of mercury levels three times higher than recommended, leading to neurological diseases like Parkinson’s Disease and dementia.
Health food stores also continue to sell shark cartilage tablets and shark liver oil. These items are sold as health supplements that could help to alleviate symptoms of arthritis, inflammation and even reduce the risk of cancer. There is, sadly, a misconception that sharks do not get cancer; therefore if we take supplements that contain shark products we will not get cancer. There is scientific and photographic proof that sharks get cancer and cancerous tumors so this theory is flawed. There is absolutely no benefit in taking these supplements, sharks are in no way a requirement of the human diet, nor do their body parts aid our health to any degree. It will surprise you that even some pet shops sell shark cartilage as a supplement for dogs! There are many natural supplement alternatives that you can take instead.
Let’s face it, the only creature that needs shark cartilage is a shark!
For a full list of sustainable seafood options please visit www.marineconservation.org.au.
Wishing you all a happy, healthy and Fin Free Easter.
For any further information please message Tess via the Fin Free Albury Wodonga Facebook page.